Musk: Tesla truck will be better than Porsche 911

Is Tesla omni-overlord Elon Musk shooting his mouth off without thinking about what he’s saying?

Hmm, as strange as it sounds, he has been at it again, this time promising supercar performance from the company’s yet-tosurface pick-up truck.

During an episode of the unofficial Tesla podcast series,

Ride the Lightning, Musk commented that the forthcoming pick-up will outperform the Ford F-150, but also Porsche’s iconic 911 sportscar.

“It’ll be a better truck than an equivalent F-150 and a better sports car than a standard 911,”

Musk said on the podcast.

Big words, but it got even better. He went on to claim that the Tesla truck will start from US$49,000 when it goes on sale (about NZ$75,000), making it a comparative bargain in Tesla terms and when compared with what a decent turbo diesel utility with a few trimmings costs.

The feisty South African is clearly throwing a few more swings than usual at present, given that when it comes to producing a good old-fashioned (albeit high-tech electric) wellside pick-up, his company is a bit behind the eight ball.

Competitor Rivian set out its stall with just such a vehicle at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show (one which garnered plenty of praise following its reveal), while Ford and General Motors plan to reveal their own prototype electric trucks soon.

Musk isn’t used to being a follower, so his dismissal of the F-150 as a dinosaur is predictable fight-versus-flight behaviour. In terms of off-the-line kick, any electric motor-driven vehicle has the potential to outpace a conventional Porsche 911. Comparing the two is an interesting move though. It will be fascinating to see a head-tohead between a load-luggin’ pick-up and the dictionary definition of a sports car.